


Again

by The H Stands For Hologram (Disherona)



Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: Death, End, Implied Relationships, Lister as God, M/M, Paradise, Past Relationship(s), Possible ship, Pre-Relationship, Reincarnation, beginning, fiji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 11:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disherona/pseuds/The%20H%20Stands%20For%20Hologram
Summary: Everything comes around from the end to the beginning. Here we go again.





	Again

The last thing “Ace” Rimmer remembered was recruiting a new Ace, then his image disappeared, as his light bee finally gave out to the last, tragic adventure. It was his destiny. He was supposed to recruit a new caterpillar to become a butterfly and then die and that’s what he did.

And in the nanosecond after death he reappeared in…where? He felt as if he’d been here before. There was water as far as the eye could see, framed with a beautiful tropical sunset. Or was it a sunrise? Oranges and purples breathtakingly illuminated the sky. Small thatched huts dotted the perfectly white sands of the beach. Horses and sheep roamed the island, free to be horses and sheep. Wait. Horses and sheep?

“Oi, Smeghead. You’re late. Again.” The voice was familiar, transformed by old age, but he knew it, as well as he knew his own voice.

Arnold Judas Rimmer spun around to see him. HIM. Aged. A long white beard tangled into dreadlocks. A bio-mechanical arm, complete with bottle opener had replaced his right arm. He wore a long, tattered, bland bathrobe, but he was still spry, and had that same youthful air about him. Even as an ancient man. The last human. 

David Lister, aged…well, at this point, even he didn’t know exactly how old he was, popped open a Leopard lager as he approached his former shipmate, who had left to fulfill his destiny as a space hero all those decades ago. 

“Hey, Ace.” 

"Listy? Is…is it really you?” Shocked and overjoyed, Arnold Rimmer rushed up to him and gave him a very gentle hug, keeping in mind his great strength as a hologram, and Lister’s great age. Hell, even as a weedy teenager, he could have crushed the ancient Lister’s old frame with a hug. 

“Welcome to paradise.” The old man laughed, releasing himself from the embrace, and clapping the long-lost space hero on the back, and turning to take in the view of his idea of perfection. Fiji. Freedom. Beauty. Sheep and horses. Simplicity. 

“You and me on a small tropical island surrounded by sheep is hardly my idea of paradise.” Rimmer scoffed, realization kicking in, again: who Lister was in the grand scheme of things, why he was on this tiny island after years of being Ace. How things would go on from the end to the beginning again. 

Now, he remembered being here. Many, many times before.

“Not my fault you were late.” Lister answered. “The others left 130 years ago, give or take.” 

“The others?” 

“Yeah. Cat, Kryten, Holly. They’ve already restarted their journey.” Lister smiled. “They send their regards.” 

A wan smile began to cross his face. “I can’t believe I missed them.” Realizing, after those words were said that he meant that comment in both ways. “How did they end up?”

“The usual.” Lister smiled. “Happy endin’s all ‘round,” Lister beamed. “I found Krissy, y’know. It was a good life. Better than I could’ve imagined all those millions of years ago.” 

Rimmer gave a short nod, not knowing how to respond. He’d had a good life, as well. One he could never have imagined. Brave. Handsome. Wonderful. Meeting men who wanted to be like him, and almost everyone he met wanted to be with him. The opposite of the useless coward no one liked or wanted in any capacity. 

“Ready for another go?” Lister asked, that charming, gerbil faced grin on his face. 

“Absolument, Mr. Lister, sir.” Rimmer answered, giving that silly salute he had invented as a much younger man, imagining it would be accepted by the Space Corps, once he became an officer. Never happened. Never. And he didn’t care. It was a joke, now. One that both he and Lister chuckled at. 

A wicked grin cut across Rimmer’s weasel face. “Can I be God this time, and you be the smeghead turned space hero?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“No!” Lister answered, adamantly. 

“Why not?” Rimmer whined. 

“No one who accidentally kills an entire crew is getting the keys to the universe.” 

“Point taken…What about this, what about more sex, less death? Once is kind of embarrassing, you know. Especially for preAce Rimmer. Is that a request you would consider? It’s only fair.” 

“I’ll think about it.” Lister said, with a snigger. “Ready?” 

“Wait,” Rimmer licked his lips nervously before asking “Lister, why me?”

“Wha’?” 

“We hated each other.” Rimmer stated, awkwardly. “Why me?”

“We didn’t always hate each other. “ Lister sighed, regret clearly on his face. “In fact, early on we were very close.”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?” Rimmer asked, confused. “Are you taking the smeg?” 

“See you in about 30 years, Rimsy.” Lister chuckled and Rimmer began to feel himself fading out of reality. 

Again.

**Author's Note:**

> Yup.  
> Please read and review. I really appreciate constructive criticism.  
> Thank you.


End file.
